n8 O&ober 1748. 



vines are principally feen on trees which ftand 

 fingle in corn-fields, and at the end of woods, 

 where the meadows, paftures, and fields begin ; 

 and likewife along the enclofures, where they 

 cling with their tendrils round the trees which 

 ftand there. The lower parts of the plant are full 

 of grapes, which hang below the leaves, and were 

 now almoft ripe, and had a pleafant fourim tafte. 

 The country people gather them in great quan- 

 tities, and fell them in the town. They are eaten 

 without further preparation ; and commonly peo^ 

 pie are prefented with them when they come to 

 pay a vifit. 



THE foil does not feem to be deep hereabouts $ 

 for the upper black ftratum is hardly two inches* 

 This I had an occalion to fee, both in fuch places 

 where the ground is dug up, and in fuch where 

 the water, during heavy mowers of rain, has 

 made cuts, which are pretty numerous here. 

 The upper foil has a dark colour, and the next a 

 pale colour like bricks. I have obferved every 

 where in America, that the depth of the upper 

 foil does not by far agree with the computation 

 of fome people, though we can almoft be fure, 

 that in fome places it never was ftirred fince the 

 deluge. I (hall be more particular in this refpecft 

 afterwards. * 



THE 



* TH F. learned Dr. Walhrius, in his Mineralogy, 8. in the 

 note to the article, Humus communis atra t mentions, that fome 

 people were of opinion, that the mould of our globe increafed 

 gradually from the yearly putiefa&ion of plants and their parts, 

 cfpecially in foch places as had been uncultivated ever fince the 

 deluge ; and that thus, in a hundred years, half an inch of mould 

 was produced. But he obferves, in the fame time, that this ob- 



fervation 



